In the recent rapid development of digital communication services, the general concept of an integrated services digital network has steadily gained ground. In other words, all contemplated services would be provided through the same digital network.
International Standards Organizations have moved quickly to foster this development. They have adapted standards for a line rate of 1.544 Mbits/s (primarily in North America and Japan) and 2.048 Mbits/s (most of the world) for a primary rate digital multiplexed interface.
While some commercial products exist for these purposes, each of them has drawbacks.
For example, some of them serve such a small number of channels that equipment costs and coordination problems quickly escalate. Others are insufficiently flexible to assure the customer of a communication link of the desired capacity whenever possible.
It is an object of this invention to solve the foregoing problems.